Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Doggy Love or Idiocy? Occasions for Blessings

Idiocy Personified was me this morning. After an inch of new snow last night it started pouring this morning. Temps are hovering around freezing but Magoo was insisting on going to the park. I waited until the temps got to 34 and decided to take the plunge.
Our driveway was 5 inches of slush but we made it out onto the road which was only 2 inches of slush. No sign of the plow at 8:25am. Crept down the hill in second to the paved part which was merely rough ice. sigh. People were turning around. I asked why and one woman said someone heading back said there were multiple accidents on the main road. hmmmnn
So I stuck to the edge of the road where there was dirt and made it to the highway. Folks were doing 45.

Saw one car off the road about a mile down but no accidents and the pavement was a bit slushy but really fine. Car temp was down to 31 by now. The high for the day was supposed to be at 10am and 40. Didn't look like that preditcion was going to come true.

By the time we got to Ithaca the temps were all the way up to 33. Dog park was 3-4 inches of wet snow and slush with a flooded icy parking lot and water cascading out through the entrance portal. Going through a large deep puddle to get Magoo's poop did in my water resistant boots so now my feet were wet. "Good thing it's above freezing." my toes said. A blessing.

Magoo wore his raincoat so only his head and tail were getting drenched. It was pouring harder but Magoo wanted to chase balls. There was only one other dog and crazy person out there although I had seen several of his friends leaving with their people as we turned in. I lasted 15 minutes. My raincoat funneled water onto my jeans so by a few minutes of walking I was wet from my knees to my toes.
When I finally walked through more slush and deep water back to the car and could open my iPhone I saw Jim had texted that the plow had gone up the hill. Hurray!!!!! At least I could now attempt coming home with some assurance of making it up our steep hill in West Danby.

We drove over to Greenstar Cooperative Market for our traditional morning breakfast. Me for fair trade decaf and an organic Fat Boy scone. Magoo for some free range eggs and no gmo, no anitbiotic free range turkey sausage. The parking lot was flooded so if my boots had held in the Dog Park they would have been drenched now. Another blessing. Inside Greenstar were at least a dozen folks with mops and buckets trying to stem the tide of water all over the floor coming from?????? Well it seems that the heavy rain melted all the snow so fast that drains were backing up. Everyone was in such a pleasant mood. One woman was worried that my shoes would get wet. I told her that was already the fact and we laughed a bit. I love that place.

Coming home was a much easier drive as the rain had cleared much of the slush from the main roads and the plows had been on our road too. Well cindered and no problem driving back up our hill.
Of course the plow had knocked over the recycling I set out yesterday. They usually knock over the mailbox so this was better. Blessing again. Good thing my feet were already wet as I had to trudge around in 4 inches of slush to pick up an entire container of paper, plastic and empty glass jars. It's still pouring.
The best blessing was coming into the house, drying off Magoo's head, putting his raincoat, my pants and socks into the dryer and then putting on a nice thick pair of hand knit socks.

2 comments:

Magoo. LOVE the name. What a good dog mommy you are to Magoo! Reading your story made me feel happy for Magoo and you and me, too!

Pretty Purple Socks. I am only now learning how to knit and haven't tried stocks yet (my first project was a hat and I just completed a beginner's pattern for a little dog sweater for my best friend's beloved Toy Poodle, Annie).

I love your socks, and your playful purple composition! I can only wonder if hand knit socks feel any differently than store bought. I'm looking forward to finding out but it may be a bit since three people have made requests for me to knit them something:

* a male friend asks for a Shetland wool scarf in black 8x60 (wow, so specific)

* a female friend that I Skype with regularly and who lives in Egypt asked me to model my hat for her. She then excitedly asked me to make an identical one for her for when she visits the states in winter.

* my best friend has a friend that loved the dog sweater I knit for Annie and asks if I could make one for her little Bison Frise, Sophie.

Since I am a brand new knitter, all these requests have surprised, delighted and overwhelmed me a bit. Now, I'm wondering whether to move forward and knit what pleases only me with an eye towards developing my beginner skills or to begin repeat projects for others (or is this where I begin knitting two projects at a time?).

Ahhh. The knitter's dilemna.This is where you start several projects, intending to trade off and finish them all, but alas and alack, you will soon have UFO's.I suggest knitting something for yourself or of your choice in-between gifts and maybe asking those askers to pay for the yarn. And choose good yarn, not Red Heart. After all it takes the same amount of time to knit with good quality materials as cheap acrylic.

Solid black is a nightmare. Go forth at your own risk.

Socks are not for beginners, but soon you can try a pair. I have a pattern called Bare Bones, which allows you to work with any yarn and size it to the person going to wear the socks.Oh and yes, hand knit socks feel the absolute best on your feet.

Thanks so much for responding to my blog. I haven't figured out any other way to answer you but here yet. it makes all the difference knowing someone reads it and cares.

I crocheted (very poor crocheter) a sweater for Magoo but since his chest is so big the rest of it hangs on him. Couldn't taper it and still get it over his head.